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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24906976">Alpha Dog</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/puff22_2001/pseuds/puff22_2001'>puff22_2001</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pacific Rim (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol, Chuck Hansen Lives, Friendship, Gen, Hospitalization, Injury, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Stacker Pentecost Lives</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:22:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,060</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24906976</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/puff22_2001/pseuds/puff22_2001</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A miracle occurs and the pilots of Striker Eureka survive. Now, Raleigh means to mend fences. It probably helps that Chuck is hot as shit.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chuck Hansen &amp; Hercules Hansen, Chuck Hansen &amp; Mako Mori, Mako Mori &amp; Stacker Pentecost, Raleigh Becket &amp; Chuck Hansen, Raleigh Becket &amp; Mako Mori</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Alpha Dog</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was my Secret Santa gift for sugarstencils over on Tumblr for the Pacific Rim Exchange several years back. Her favorite ship was Chaleigh or Hot Dads. Obviously I never even got to any actual shipping, which has always bugged me. I can't promise to continue this story (as I don't write nearly as much these days), but at least this is a cute precursor to one's own headcanons. As well, I never say never when it comes to creating, so who knows?</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’m so sorry.” Chuck said with deep sincerity as Mako sat by his bed and Raleigh lounged in a chair nearby. It had been a dicey thing, dragging the young ranger as well as Mako’s adoptive father from the sea after their Conn-Pod had shot from their jaeger like a rocket. They’d been miles under the ocean and only God’s grace and a great deal of luck had saved the two men, and that wasn’t accounting for their extensive injuries.</p><p>Raleigh himself hadn’t even known that the other pilots had survived until he and Mako had been flown back to the Hong Kong Shatterdome. They had both been exhausted, soaked, and in a state of conflicting emotions of celebration and mourning. But Raleigh had been gratified to see Mako’s face glow beyond imagination when Herc Hansen told them the news amid the cheering. Herc's own face, praising his son’s survival, was a matching beacon of joy.</p><p>Now here they were. Days and nights had blurred in booze and dancing. Every hallway held makeshift memorials to the fallen—the Weis, the Russians, all those who came before—and drunken revelers. Raleigh himself had gotten good and sloshed as soon as Medical had cleared him. He and Mako, glued to the hip, made the rounds and received so many handshakes and high-fives that K-Scientist Newt joked that their hands would fall off.</p><p>Even as they partied, both worried for those in the medical bay. Mako was in a constant state of anxiety until Stacker Pentecost awoke, and then spent the majority of her time by his side. She only left to eat and bathe. The solemn woman insisted on a twin cot in the marshal’s room and slept by her teacher’s bed.</p><p>Raleigh, for his part, wanted to thank the two men who had made it possible for him and Mako to close the Breach. They’d all expected Chuck and Pentecost to die; that they hadn’t seemed a sign to heal the rifts that had remained, even as they all fought for a common right to live. Raleigh had butted heads with both of his fellow rangers, and it was time to make that right.</p><p>Then Chuck had screwed it all up by apologizing first. Raleigh had to laugh at that; the younger man probably had psychic powers to be the alpha dog about <em>everything</em>. IN fairness, first they’d all chitchatted about all that had happened in the days while Chuck was so bombed out on medicines and pain that he didn’t even recognize his own father. Mako made a point of mentioning that Herc visited every day, and Raleigh saw the short grin that crossed Chuck’s face. It made his own heart ache with happiness for Chuck and Herc—and pain for himself and his loss.</p><p>Before he let regret take hold, Raleigh was determined to have his say. Then Chuck had stopped Mako with a rough hand on hers and apologized. Mako smiled warmly and squeezed Chuck’s hand back, and Raleigh felt the ghost of her emotions in his mind. She was touched as Raleigh was himself, though Chuck did look uncomfortable enough that it made Raleigh smirk a bit.</p><p>“We forgive you.” Mako said simply and her partner quickly turned his smirk into a genuine smile when Chuck shifted his gaze to Raleigh with uncertainty.</p><p>“Yeah, we’re cool, Chaz.” Raleigh bit back a snort as Chuck, both relieved and annoyed, sneered halfheartedly.</p><p>“I’m glad to hear it, Old Man.” Raleigh smiled and Chuck laughed as well while Mako rolled her eyes affectionately. It was nice to hear Chuck laugh, Raleigh discovered. The ranger’s voice had a deep timbre and Raleigh did always have a thing for accents.</p><p>“So, when can we spring you?” Raleigh asked after a moment. He’d had an idea forming for a few days, and hearing Chuck laugh—really let it go—solidified his plan.</p><p>Chuck looked at Raleigh with surprise. “I don’t know. My dad said I’ll be in here for a bit longer. I’m pretty fucked up.” Raleigh smiled again and Chuck actually blushed. Damn, the boy was a cutie.</p><p>“Well, I was hoping to take you and your dad out for drinks as soon as you’re cleared by the med team.” Raleigh shifted in his seat to fully face Chuck in bed. Mako took Raleigh’s hand, her other still holding Chuck’s. “What you did was amazing, Chuck. I want to thank you for taking that risk and your dad for letting you.”</p><p>“I was pretty awesome.” Chuck preened as much as he was able, though Raleigh could tell that the compliment pleased him. Mako rolled her eyes again and stood to go as Herc walked in. Seeing Chuck’s father made Raleigh swiftly stand at attention; he wasn’t scared of Herc Hansen, of course. He was just—<em>respectful</em> was a good word. Herc gave both of the able-bodied rangers a grateful nod before turning to Chuck.</p><p>“How you doing, Son?” Despite the awkwardness, Raleigh could tell that some kind of divide had been bridged between the two Australians as Herc sat in Mako’s vacated seat. It made him wish that he and Yancy had had the time to forgive all of their hurts, but watching the Hansens clumsily begin to heal after years of pain was kind of wonderful. Life was too precious for bullshit, he knew.</p><p>“I’m OK. Rah-leigh wants to take us out for drinks when I’m free.” Chuck said nonchalantly but Raleigh, who was pretty good at reading people, could tell that the younger ranger was getting cabin fever and was thankful for the possibility to finally have a celebratory drink. The plan to get him out of the Shatterdome was looking better and better.</p><p>“Ah.” One syllable, but Raleigh gulped as he felt Herc eyeing him with laser-like precision. It wasn’t a courageous move, but then Herc Hansen lost out only to Stacker Pentecost as “Scary Protective Dad” of the Shatterdome. “Well, we’ll see how you feel when the medics give you the OK.”</p><p>Mako pulled at Raleigh’s arm gently, and the two slipped out of the room. Raleigh glanced back and Chuck winked, his good arm lifting a bit in a small salute. Raleigh grinned and returned the gesture before Mako closed the door behind them.</p><p>Oh yeah, he was going to get fucking smashed with that hot ginger.</p><p></p><div class="SnapLinksContainer">
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